Angola was at war from 1961 to 2002. First, there was the Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974), then, after the country’s independence from the colonial rule of the Portuguese, a Civil War ensued in 1975 that lasted until 2002. In both cases, the conflicts mainly took place in the rural countryside, thwarting the development of proper social and physical infrastructure. These factors, combined with the widespread shortage of opportunities to generate income, triggered a steady and determined migration of millions of people from the countryside to the main cities, which prevails to this day. In effect, the housing shortage in the main cities increased rapidly; the official estimates mention a housing backlog of close to 2 million housing units.1 . . .